SUFFOLK, United Kingdom — A U.S. Air Force Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker made an emergency diversion to Royal Air Force (RAF) Mildenhall on Monday morning after declaring an in-flight emergency while cruising over French airspace on Monday Septembre 21, 2026.
The military aerial refueling aircraft, operating under callsign MC724 and registration 60-0366, departed from Aviano NATO Air Base in northern Italy at approximately 9:00 AM local time, bound for the United States.
While flying at a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet over France and preparing for the transatlantic portion of its route, the crew issued a squawk 7700 transponder code, the universal signal indicating a general emergency aboard an aircraft.
Following the emergency declaration, air traffic controllers routed the aircraft toward the United Kingdom. Flight tracking data indicated the Stratotanker initiated a steep descent to 16,000 feet as it changed course toward East Anglia.
The aircraft safely touched down at RAF Mildenhall at 11:00 AM local time. As a standard precautionary safety procedure for inflight emergencies, military airfield fire trucks met the KC-135R on the runway upon landing to inspect the aircraft before it taxied to the apron.
No injuries were reported, and officials have not yet released the specific mechanical or operational cause behind the emergency call. RAF Mildenhall serves as a primary forward-operating location and air refueling hub for U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE).
